Illumination system



April 25, 1961 R. F. RESKE ET AL ILLUMINATION SYSTEM Filed Sept. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 I? if flIlllm I4 I I3 I3 INVENTORS.

RICHARD E RESKE AND BY LAWRENCE I. SIEGEL ATTORNEYS April 1961 R. F. RESKE ET AL 2,981,386

ILLUMINATION SYSTEM Filed Sept. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. RICHARD F. RESKE AND BY LAWRENCE I. SIEGEL ATTORNEYS 2,981,386 Patented Apr. 25, 1961 rtLUMiNArroN SYSTEM Richard F. Reslre and Lawrence I. Siegel, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Federal Lighting Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed dept. 8, 1955, Ser. No. 533,107

1 Claim. (Cl. 189-85) This invention relates generally to illumination systems, but has reference more particularly to a system which is especially adapted for use with fluorescent ceiling fixtures.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an illumination system of the character described, which is highly eflicient in use, and can be quickly and easily installed, at relatively low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ilillumination system of the character described, which embodies the use of flexible translucent corrugated plastic panels, including means for permitting rapid insertion and removal of these panels, without the use of tools.

A further object of the invention is to provide an illumination system of the character described, which embodies the use of special clips or brackets for supporting parts of the system and permitting adjustment of such parts relatively to each other.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, illustrating the principal features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 5'5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of one of the brackets or clips used in the lighting system, and

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of the bracket or clip shown in Fig. 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 1 designates the ceiling of a room, 2 one of two opposite walls of the room, and 3 one of the other two opposite walls of the room.

Secured to the Walls 2, in spaced relation to the ceiling 1, as by screws 4, are channels 5 which extend to the walls 3. The flanges 6 and 7 of these channels extend horizontally inwardly from the Walls 2, and the upper flange 6 is somewhat shorter than the lower flange 7. In practice, the space or distance between the inner faces of the flanges 6 and 7 is about /8".

Secured to the walls 3, in spaced relation to the ceiling 1, as by screws 8, are channels 9, the ends of which extend into the channels 5, between the flanges 6 and 7 of the latter. The channels 5 and 9 are preferably made of 20 gauge sheet steel or aluminum, so that the flanges 6 and 7 will yield sufficiently to accommodate the ends of the channels 9, even if the channels 9 are of the same depth as the channels 5. The flanges 10 and 11 of the channels 9 extend horizontally inwardly from the walls 3, and the upper flange 10 is somewhat shorter than the lower flange 11. In practice, the space or distance be tween the inner faces of the flanges 10 and 11 is about /8".

The lighting system further includes a lattice or framework consisting of spaced members 12, which extend perpendicularly to the channels 5, and members 13.

Each of the members 12 is formed of two channels 14 and 15, with their webs in back-to-back abutment with each other and spot welded to each other, so as to form a beam of I cross-section, with the upper flanges 16 of the beam somewhat shorter than the lower flanges 17 of the beam.

Each of the members 13 is similarly formed of two channels 18 and 19, with their webs in back-to-back abutment with each other and spot welded to each other, so as to form a beam of I cross-section, with the upper flanges 20 of the beam somewhat shorter thanthe lower flanges 21 of the beam.

As shownin Fig. 3, the ends of the members 12 are disposed between the ends of the members, 13, and for the purpose of maintaining these ends in this relationship with each other at their intersections with each other, I provide a special connector element, clip or bracket, which is generally designated by reference numeral 22.

As best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, each of the brackets 22 is formed from a sheet metal stamping having a rectangular central or body portion 23, a pair of arms 24 and 25 extending from opposite sides of said body portion and in alignment with each other, and a pair of arms 26 and 27 extending from the other opposite sides of said body portion and in alignment with each other. Each of the arms 24, 25, 26 and 27 is provided at its side edges with flanges 28 which provide tracks for slidably receiving the upper flanges of the I-beams and serve to support the I-beams. This arrangement permits the members 12 and 13 to be adjusted relatively to each other, so that the spaces formed therebetween at the intersections will all be substantially uniform.

After the desired adjustment between the members 12 and 13 has been effected, the brackets 22 are interlocked with the members by means of sheet-metal thumb screws 29 which are threaded in the arms of the brackets and are threaded into the joints between the webs of the mern bers 12 and 13, so as to rigidly secure the members to the brackets.

The brackets 22 are suspended from the ceiling 1 of the room by means of wires 31, the lower ends of which are secured to lugs 32 which are stamped and bent vertically upward from the metal of the body portions 23 of the brackets.

The members 12 which extend into the channels 5 and the members 13 which extend into the channels 9 are securedto these channels by means of a special connector element, clip or bracket, which is generally designated by reference numeral 33 (Fig. 1).

Each of the brackets 33 is formed from a sheet metal stamping having a rectangular central or body portion 34, a pair of arms 35 and 36 extending from opposite sides of said body portion and in alignment with each other, and a single arm 37 extending from one of the other opposite sides of said body portion. Each of the arms 35 and 36 is provided at one of its edges with flanges 33 which embrace the edge of the upper flange of the channel 5 or 9. The arm 37 is provided at its side edges with flanges 39 which provide tracks for slidably receiving the upper flanges of the members 12 and 13. This arrangement permits the members 12 and 13 to be adjusted relatively to the wall channels, and after the desired adjustment has been effected, the brackets 33 are interlocked to the wall channels by means of sheet metal thumb screws 40 and 41. The screws 40 are threaded in the arms 35 and 36 and into the upper flanges of the wall channels, while the screws 41 are threaded in the arms 37 and are screwed into the joints between the webs of the members 12 or 13.

In practice, the brackets 33 may be made by cutting the brackets 23 along the broken line indicated in Fig. 6, and discarding the portion of the bracket 23 which is above this broken line. In this manner, the need for a separate die for forming the brackets 33 is obviated.

The wall channels 5 and 9 and the members 12 and 13 form rectangular areas of openings which are designed to receive translucent plastic panels 42 through which light from fluorescent light fixtures 43 secured to the ceiling 1 of the room is transmitted.

The panels 42 are provided in the form of rolls from which sections of any desired length may be cut to form the panels, the panels being corrugated, as shown in Fig. 5 to provide rigidity in the direction of the length of the corrugations.

The panels are adapted to be supported by the lower flanges of the channels 5 and 9 and members 12 and 13, and since the panels are longer than the openings formed by the channels 5 and 9 and the members 12 and 13, it is necessary to provide some means for permitting insertion of the panels, without distorting the panels in the direction of the length of the corrugations.

For this purpose, the upper flanges 16 of the members 12 are slit at spaced points (about 6 inches apart) adjacent one end of each of the members 12, and the portions of these flanges between the slits are bent upwardly into contiguity with each other, so as to provide openings 44 through which the panels may be introduced and slid along on the lower flanges 17 of the members 12. In this way, the panels may be easily and quickly slid into position, and may just as easily be removed, when it is desired to obtain access to the fluorescent fixtures or bulbs for repair or replacement purposes.

The wall channels 9 are similarly provided, at points in alignment with the openings 44, with openings 45 for receiving the panels 42.

It is thus seen that we have provided an illumination system which fulfills all of the objects of the invention, and is well adapted for the purpose for which it has been designed.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention,

4% herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of our invention, or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

In an illumination system of the character described, a framework consisting of members disposed perpendicularly to each other to form intersecting joints, said members being of I-beam cross-section having horizontallydisposed spaced upper and lower flanges, a single bracket connected to the upper flanges of all of the members at each joint, said bracket comprising a member formed of sheet metal having a central flat body portion and arms coplanar with said body portion and extending therefrom, said arms having flanges embracing only the upper flanges of said framework members, screws extending vertically through said arms and into threaded relation with said framework members, said body portion having a lug stamped from said body portion and extending upwardly from said body portion, and means connecting each bracket lug directly to a ceiling for supporting the framework in spaced relation to said ceiling.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 28,030 Worthen Apr. 24, 1860 1,412,163 Buckingham Apr. 11, 1922 1,596,360 Krey Aug. 17, 1926 2,150,344 Schilling Mar. 14, 1939 2,188,527 Carilli Jan. 30, 1940 2,270,268 Chambers Jan. 20, 1942 2,382,456 Urbain Aug. 14, 1945 2,527,031 Rambusch Oct. 24, 1950 2,710,679 Bibb et a1. June 14, 1955 2,725,127 Barrett et a1. Nov. 29, 1955 2,742,122 Stanley Apr. 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 848,244 Germany Sept. 1, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Architectural Record (publication), page 281, August 1954. 

